MEL COOKE, Freelance Writer
Jerry Butler, in performance at the Jerry Butler Show, held at Morgan's Harbour Hotel's car park, Port Royal on Sunday. Other perfrmers included Gem Myers, Robert Sarjant and Bob Andy. - WINSTON SILL
MARCIA GRIFFITHS AD-DRESSED the matter of the cheering from the chairs directly at Sunday's 'Evening on the Harbour'.
"I like when you are seated and comfortable, but yuh sitting in the seat and dancing in the seat, You have to make me feel the vibe. We going strictly dancehall style now," she said. Lloyd Parkes and We The People band played the familiar introduction to Dawn Penn's No No No and at Griffiths' command 'on your feet' many in the capacity audience at Morgan's Harbour car park, Port Royal, rose.
And they stayed standing, as in between the lyrics Griffiths urged them on with "come inna dis people" and "on your feet soldiers". Then when the song was finished they promptly sat down, remaining there for the rest of the concert.
There was a near mass rise, though, for the second to last song from the night's headliner and final performer, Jerry 'The Iceman' Butler, when he sang Your Precious Love, coming to the end of his hour-long performance. There was a collective cheer, many hands went up and several bodies rose briefly, only to settle back and sway along with the love song.
Butler ended with his voice going high on the title and refrain of another love song, Strawberries, which also hit the spot, but the demand and expectant wait for an encore was not met.
"Just so?" one woman demanded as she joined the crowd headed through the gate on MC Bob Clarke's final goodbye at about 11:30 p.m.
Butler had, however, fulfilled his stated plan. "For the next hour or so we are going to sing some love songs. If you are with someone you don't like a whole lot, now is a good time to leave," he said, to chuckles. The achingly slow Breaking Up Is Hard To Do and more uptempo He Don't Love You (Like I Love You) fulfilled the creme suit clad Butler's intentions, the audience members sitting, swaying and singing along, Only The Strong Survive going to the soul of other matters.
The night's opening performer, Robert Sarjant, gave it to the audience once, twice and thrice of 54-46 (That's My Number). He finished with a ska medley, including Sammy Dead, A Little More Oil and Seven Books of Moses.
Gem Myers also swished hips, looking over her shoulder and smiling as she moved along to Shame On You. She put serious soul into Randy Crawford's One Day I'll Fly Away, before rocking it reggae style. and her voice went high and clear as she sang This heart's been mistreated. On her encore, as she asked for the One Man Woman hands, there was laughter when she said "no mek no man hol' up dem han' side a yu, cause we no deal wid dat."
Bob Andy scooped lyrical mastery from his catalogue in an extended performance, Too Experienced, You Are Still My Honey, Fire Burning and I've Got To Go Back Home hitting the spot.
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